Oct 11, 2012

PUMPKIN JAM

As I mentioned a while back, over the last two years living here in the US, one very noticeable difference from Europe is the pumpkin madness that kicks in every October.Everything starts or ends with "pumpkin", in one way or form. This national attachment to the orange gourd squash is something I find very entertaining yet terribly endearing.

So of course there are the usual suspects: pumpkin pie, pumpkin soup, pumpkin lattes, etc. Then seasonal cupcakes, scones and cheesecakes spiked with pumpkin. And then, there's the spread known as pumpkin butter- which quite frankly I had never heard of before moving stateside.

On that last thought, I started to think of pumpkin jam. How come we don't see much of that, and most importantly: are we missing out on something really good over here?!

With the logic that everyone (almost) loves jam and that everyone (almost) loves pumpkin, how could I go wrong...I had to make it! And I can confirm that I made it with no regrets. It was delicious on a toasty slice of bread rubbed with butter and washed down with a cup of coffee. And certainly will be making October mornings easier and tastier to wake up to.

It's beautiful, but a real pain to chop up and peel. To help fix that, I microwaved my pumpkin in 3-4 sequences of 60 seconds. It certainly made the rest a lot easier for me.

In a large bowl, mix the pumpkin, sugar and lemon. Cover the bowl and leave overnight in the fridge.

The next day, transfer mixture into a deep pan and place on medium heat. Stir gently until the sugar begins to dissolve. Turn heat to high for 2-4 minutes. Return to a very low heat. If you have chosen to include any flavours, now's the time to add them. Cover pan and continue to cook for another 15-20 minutes, making sure to stir every now and then. Remove, allow to cool and enjoy immediately. Note that pumpkin does not store well- so best to enjoy in the same day (make a small portion) or keep jar in fridge at all times.

4 comments:

Joana
said...

I just love your blog! I'm kind of mad right now, saving your recipes to do really soon! Here in Brazil, well, at least in the city that I live, pumpkins are not so common, but i'm dying to do this jam and the cookies that you posted a few days ago! thaaaanks!

Hi, Marianna! I was researching the possibility of making a pumpkin jam recently, too. Unfortunately, pumpkin is one of those things that the USDA says is unsafe to waterbath can. It primarily has to do with the fact that the pumpkin in the jar will never get hot enough in the canning process to kill all the nasties that can cause it to spoil and/or make you sick. That's why you never see pumpkin jam at farmers markets or on grocery shelves.

I'm sorry to say that this recipe - while quite delicious! - would never be shelf-stable and would have to be stored in the fridge immediately, unless pressure canned. You might want to caution your readers about that.

RJ sorry this is untrue if you are making the jam separate . As a chef we use a recipe similar to this and shelf life in our kitchen is about a year! It's quite possible to make your reduction before jaring. If everyone was to paranoid to try something different and not take a risk the world would be a boring place.... Jam and can on or , jam it ha ha

ABOUT THIS BLOG

I started Swirl & Scramble because ever since I was a child I enjoyed transforming my kitchen dreams into a reality. Whether it be spontaneous culinary improvisation or well kept family secrets, from savoury to sweet, I needed a place to capture and share these moments. I'm a a curious self-taught cook but have had some basic knowledge at the prestigious Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne and an incredible training experience in the kitchens of the lavish Hotel de Crillon in Paris, France.

I've lived in Greece, Switzerland, France and am now in the NYC area which is a real treat for a culinary lover like myself. In the meantime, I try to travel as much as I can. Most of my travel photography is on my Flickr stream.

You may notice that many of my recipes are of Mediterranean or Middle Eastern influence...the fact is that these origins run in the family and I pretty much grew up on olive oil, onions and garlic!

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